1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to tracking devices and, in particular, to a pet collar that incorporates both light and radio tracking capabilities.
2. Description of Related Art
Previous attempts to provide lighted pet collars generally have fallen into three categories. In one category, there have been collars that have several light emitting diodes (LED) placed around the collar, and those LEDs have been traditional wide dispersion diodes which spread the energy over 140° or more and typically have only a 100–120 mcd brightness level. In another category, there have been collars that have employed a pendant-type of tag, i.e., one that lights up and hangs from the collar, but is not part of the collar itself. In a third category, there have been collars that use electro-luminescent displays that are sewn or otherwise attached to the collar.
Previous attempts at constructing these types of collars suffer from generally poor lighting, a large power drain (which requires large batteries and/or frequent battery replacement), and an inability to withstand constant motion and strain, which can break the wires utilized in their construction leading to rapid failure of the lighting feature. Further, attempts at sealing the electronic circuit, battery and exposed portion of the LED lights have led to rapid failures. This failure mode was caused because at least one end, LED light protrusions to the exterior of the collar, and wired battery connections were exposed and opened to the environment, which led to rapid corrosion and deterioration. Products of this nature tend to have very brief life spans, and these failure modalities have not been adequately addressed.